National parks

Re “California moves to block national park fee increases” (sacbee.com, Nov. 22): I’m encouraged to see 11 state attorneys general fighting Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s reckless proposal to double or triple entrance fees at our most popular national parks, including Yosemite. For the past 100 years, our leaders have insisted that all Americans have affordable access to our extraordinary parks. Yet Zinke’s proposal does not follow the letter or spirit of our national parks laws. Most importantly, it fails to evaluate the legal criteria applicable for rate hikes, including the negative impacts on families’ ability to visit national parks, and on the resulting the economic harm to gateway communities. This bipartisan coalition of attorneys general, which includes California’s Xavier Becerra, should be commended for defending access to our awe-inspiring national parks.

David J. Hayes, State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at NYU School of Law, Washington, D.C.

Hypocrisy

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Attorney General Xavier Becerra should look in his own backyard before he gets incensed about the Trump administration raising national park fees and cutting the parks budget. The Legislature passed a $5.2 billion increase in gas and car taxes, saddled citizens with the effects of a carbon tax, and passed a new fee for refinancing mortgages. California is the leader in high income taxes, sales taxes and gas taxes. Have you seen better infrastructure and roads, less road congestion, more efficient services, better police and fire protection, better performing schools, or affordable universities? The hypocrisy is palpable.

Mark Roberts, Loomis

Focus on state

I’m a fan of our national parks. But I get tired of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra who seems to sue the Trump administration every time the feds bring on a new rule or enforce existing ones. I would rather he focus on issues where he can make a difference. How about suing the state for jacking up the cost of a state park annual pass from $125 to $195 back in 2012, or for vehicle and gas tax increases, which disproportionately affect low income people?

Fred Klose, Rancho Cordova

GOP tax plan

Re “New poll shows small-business owners skeptical of GOP tax plan” (sacbee.com, Nov. 26): What happened to the Republican Party of family values? The GOP tax plan is an attack on the poor, middle class, students, veterans and children who will be saddled with $1.7 trillion of debt. And now, 51 percent of small businesses think it is a bad plan. The only families Republicans value are rich ones.